LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Rob Turner, the owner of Pete's Diner and Bobby T's Pub, isn't superstitious, which is good since two years ago he took over a business at 6th Street and Main Street, long rumored to be cursed.

The corner, across from Lafayette Theatre, has housed a revolving door of restaurants over the past several years, including an earlier iteration of DT Kirby's and, most recently, Lenehan's Pub.

"I'd heard about the reputation, and it was the first question I heard two years ago, questions about this being a cursed corner," Turner said.

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Revitalization in Downtown Lafayette
Stephen J. Beard / IndyStar

Despite the corner's tumultuous history, Turner saw potential, and two years ago he opened up Pete's Diner, a round-the-clock joint featuring a range of diner favorites.

A year later, he opened Bobby T's next door, a pub offering twists on county-fair food and featuring a wall of infused vodkas, from lemon to bacon, for shake-ups, Bloody Marys and other cocktails.

Getting the businesses up and running required a great deal of work, Turner said, including clearing out decades of trash in the basements and making significant interior upgrades.

It's all been worth it, however, Turner said, now that Lafayette's Streetscape Project is completed on his stretch of Main St.

Turner added that without the promise of a downtown facelift he never would have gone into business there.

"If it wasn't for the vision the city had for downtown I never would have made the investment here," Turner said.

As a direct result of the Streetscape Project the two restaurants now boast a shared patio area with a menu that is half Bobby T's and half Pete's.

Turner said with the weather turned warm the outdoor seating has brought in a lot of new customers.

Don Kirby, co-owner of DT Kirby's, said he's pleased someone has found a way to make a business stick on that corner.

"He upgraded so much stuff it makes it just a wonderful spot," Kirby said. "Plus, a 24 hour diner, that's genius, that's cool. That's something every major city has."

And Turner intends to continue improving his businesses. By next year he hopes to offer a rooftop patio, a new feature for downtown Lafayette, that would offer patrons a true overview of the newly revitalized downtown.

"We're 100 percent confident that when people come downtown and see what it is now they're going to come back a second time. And if they come back a second time, they're going to come back a third," Turner said.

The response from patrons about downtown's new look and outdoor seating has been overwhelmingly positive. Turner said that corner now belongs to him.